The Kremlin orders the arrest of Yevgeny Prigozhin as Wagner rebels take control of military sites in Russia.
Prigozhin says Wagner Group is turning its convoys around.
They wanted to dissolve Wagner Group. On June 23, we set off on our “march of justice.” In the span of 24 hours, we got within 200 kilometers of Moscow. During the time, not a single drop of our fighters’ blood was shed. Now we’ve reached a point where bloodshed is possible. So, understanding the full responsibility for the potential shedding of Russian blood from either side, we’re turning our columns around and heading back in the opposite direction towards our field camps, according to plan.
As usual it’s all theater. The real question is if Putin was part of it from the start or if it was just him showing he had the loyalty of the Russian army.
I agree it's likely real. But purely theoretically, if Putin wanted to distance himself from something, this would be one approach. E.g. if Prigozhin commits a war crime and Putin can say, "What am I to do!? Revolting mercenaries!"
This is been modus operandi for Wagner and is the only reason they're allowed to exist while the Russian law forbids private armies, it was Russia's deniable involvement in various conflicts in Africa and the middle east
That’s what it seems to me. But something is still really weird about it all. Is this Wagner chief really that rash and impulsive? What on earth could have convinced him to turn around so fast? So fucking weird.
What? Nothing was stopping them. They steam rolled.right into Moscow region and onto the doorstep of the city proper. As it is,bits unclear how much resistance they would have faced.
I don't think it's ever been in Putin's modus operandi to seem like he's scared and lost control of his country to the point of having the capital city attacked.